Deck View: Grid Series Four Playing Cards

Bold. Typographic. Futuristic.

Grid Series Four playing cards was launched in 2022 and continues the typographic approach of designer Luke Wadey, building on the success of the earlier Grid decks with a striking neon green visual identity. 

Rather than relying on traditional pips, the cards communicate their values through graphic text, numbers, and layered visual cues. Each card contains multiple pieces of information... up to seventeen elements! Allowing the value to be interpreted in several different ways. 

The faces feature full-bleed black and red designs, while the backs use a minimal white-and-green graphic pattern that creates a strong visual effect in fans and spreads. Distinctive Jokers and ad cards bring the deck to 56 cards in total. The redesigned tuck box introduces a unified style intended to carry forward across future Grid releases.

Printed by Cartamundi on Slimline stock with B9 True Linen finish, and available now on Luke Wadey's store for $20.

Suits of Life: Illustrated Playing Cards

Suits of Life: Illustrated Playing Cards is a fully illustrated 54-card art deck created by German illustrator Stefan Große Halbuer, also known as Plastic Pen. Designed as both a functional poker deck and a pocket-sized art collection, this Kickstarter project brings together four personal themes: Love, Nostalgia, Food, and Nature... each expressed through a complete suit of hand-drawn, story-driven illustrations.

Every card in Suits of Life is individually illustrated, with each image presenting a small narrative twist. Built on a consistent isometric grid, the artwork across all four suits connects visually, giving the deck a cohesive gallery-like feel when spread out. The result is a playable deck that doubles as a compact collection of 54 miniature art prints.

The project marks Halbuer’s return to fully illustrated playing cards more than a decade after his first custom deck, Geistreiz. Work on Suits of Life began in 2024 and was developed over two years between client commissions, culminating in a completed set of 54 hand-crafted designs plus a double-back card.

Each suit reflects a theme that has shaped the artist’s life:

• Clubs – Pixel Pleasures explores tech and gaming nostalgia. Inspired by growing up in the 1990s, the suit references early consoles, classic handheld systems, and LAN party culture. It serves as a love letter to retro gaming and digital beginnings, blending playful detail with personal memory.
  
  
• Hearts – Magical Love interprets love and relationships through a darker, fantasy-infused lens. While romance anchors the suit, the court cards in particular unfold a subtle, slightly tragic narrative. The imagery balances emotion and mystery, giving the traditional suit of Hearts a more cinematic tone.
  
  
• Diamonds – Tasty Treats celebrates indulgence and comfort. From chocolate and lemonade to craft beer and pizza, this suit embraces life’s guilty pleasures. Bright, playful compositions highlight food as both joy and ritual, contrasting with the more introspective tone of other suits.
  
  
• Spades – Campfire Tales turns toward the outdoors. Lakes, mountains, campfires, and quiet natural moments define this suit, reflecting the calm and creative reset that nature provides. The imagery leans into atmosphere and serenity while maintaining the deck’s structured isometric style.

All pips and indices have been custom-designed specifically for Suits of Life by Jakob Fangmeier, ensuring the deck maintains a unified aesthetic from courts to number cards.

The deck is printed by WJPC on 310gsm German black core stock with a linen texture and butter varnish finish. Pledge starts at $21 on Kickstarter.

  

Fulton’s Arcade GameBoy Edition

Fulton’s returns with one of its most nostalgic concepts yet: the Arcade GameBoy Edition, the latest addition to Fulton's Arcade series designed to transport collectors straight back to the era of monochrome green screens and late-night handheld gaming.

This release leans fully into the retro fantasy. The tuck box features a period-accurate long flap, embossed grid detailing, and a color palette pulled directly from the classic grey-and-green handheld devices of the 1980s and early ’90s. 

The moment you slide the green-backed cards from the grey case, the effect is instant... pure childhood dejavu.

The back design carries the theme even further, echoing the distinctive green glow of those early screens, the kind many 90's kids stared at for hours in the backseat of the family minivan. Every tone, texture, and printed detail has been tuned to recreate that tactile memory.

Fulton’s has always excelled at capturing mood and place, but the Arcade GameBoy Edition might be its most affectionate time machine yet. Available now for $20 on Fulton's Playing Cards.

CHESS Playing Cards by Hidden Light: A Regal Battle of Light and Shadow

Hidden Light’s CHESS Playing Cards transport players into a Baroque-inspired world where the eternal struggle between black and white unfolds through twin royal courts. Set in the 17th-century Holy Roman Empire, the series imagines a narrative where two queens representing light and chaos, command opposing powers in a lavish, mirrored universe.

The White Court draws from the ornate beauty of the Prague Crystal Palace, featuring Rococo-style gilding and vibrant glass domes. 

In contrast, the Black Court channels the moody grandeur of the Bratislava Fortress, evoking Gothic architecture with dark red velvet and bronze reliefs. 

Every court card serves both as a narrative figure and a symbolic chess piece, capturing the complex interplay of political intrigue and spiritual warfare. Each card is enhanced with “HOLO breathing” technology, a shimmering effect that animates grid patterns when tilted under light, adding an interactive element to the visual experience. 

For backers and collector's who are seeking something more exclusive, the Collector’s Box Set includes both collector’s edition decks with gilded edges and HOLO effects, packaged in an intricately foiled box and accompanied by a collector’s coin. 

Printed by King Star and pledge starts at $8 on Kickstarter.

Kardify Magazine Issue 96 NOW on Patreon

We just released Kardify Magazine Issue 96 on Patreon! Patrons who pledged $3 or more will be able to download the latest issue from our Patreon page. This issue compiles selected articles published from mid-April to mid-May. Deck images, articles, and news to keep you informed and up-to-date with the latest playing card news, releases, and previews. If you love playing cards, you will love Kardify Magazine!

Also, don’t forget to check out our other cool reward tiers on Patreon! The tiers include monthly desktop and smartphone wallpapers, a mystery deck shipped to you every 4 months of ongoing contributions, social media shout-outs, and multiple sponsorship tiers! Check it out!

Funds received from the magazine will help us keep the site running and growing, and bring new quality content to you. Our aim is to support designers by backing crowdfunded projects and supporting magic and playing cards retailers with their new releases. If you want to support us, please head over to our Patreon page. If you have an idea for an article you would like us to pursue, do get in contact with us. We hope you enjoy the read. In this issue:   

+ Swiss Franc Legal Tender: The latest addition to Kings Wild’s Legal Tender series. Continuing the tradition of blending cur- rency design with playing card craftsmanship. Find out more!

+ Room 52 x 52: From Lunzi & TCC, a hand- illustrated deck that trans- forms everyday doors into portals of imagination- a story behind each unique door!

+ Cyclopeans Cyconium: A unique deck by Stockholm17 forged in the depths of myth and leg- end featuring intricately designed card backs and face cards. 

+ Golden Eagle No.7 Vintage: Have a look at this beautifully crafted deck is inspired by A Haines Playing Card’s love of British Birds of Prey, combined with their love of classic decks of playing cards.

+ Laval Lamp:  Flaminko Playing Cards is back with a vibrant deck inspired by the hypnotic movement and bold colors of classic lava lamps.

+ Tanuki Yukaku: This rich and imaginative deck invites you into a mesmerising world of charm, illusion, and tradition, brought to life through the lens of a mischievous tanuki courtesan. Check it out!

+ Grid Series 6: The eighth deck in the GRID collection by Luke Wadey features a bold full-bleed neon orange back with white accents, custom faces, pips, and typography inspired by an isometric grid. Find out more!

… and more! 48-pages of articles and deck images. Enjoy!

Final Day on Kickstarter, GRID Series 6 Playing Cards

The eighth deck in the GRID collection by UK designer Luke Wadey continues an eight-year exploration of typographic card design. Series 6 features a bold full-bleed neon orange back with white accents, custom faces, pips, and typography inspired by an isometric grid. 

Modern fonts, custom suits, and intricate details make each card a visual experience, with elements like dual color-changing timelines that animate as you rifle the deck. Under UV light, the orange ink glows vividly.

The deck includes two jokers, two ad cards, and four additional typographic cards, including a social card and a Swiss design tribute card. The orange tuck box features a clean 3D grid design with wrap-around artwork.

Kickstarter exclusives include a PDF certificate, wallpapers, stickers, and signed collector cards for early backers. Also, limited editions and add-ons, like a half-brick box and special signed decks, are also available.

Printed by WJPC on 300gsm German black core paper with a linen finish. Pledge starts at $12 on Kickstarter.

Fulton's Arcade (Tron Edition) Playing Cards

Fulton's Arcade Tron Edition Pink & Blue Foil brings back the retro vibes of the 80s with a stunning, modern twist. The deck pays homage to the classic Tron aesthetic with two vibrant foils, capturing the iconic grid look in dazzling pink and blue.



The deck features a hot foil stamped embossed tuck box, showcasing two distinct foil stampings for a mesmerizing effect. The detailed foil work makes these cards truly stand out, giving a unique, high-end feel to the entire set. 

Printed in China on high-quality cardistry stock, these cards are designed for smooth handling and durability. The Fulton's Arcade Tron Edition is perfect for collectors, cardists, and anyone looking to relive the arcade nostalgia in style.

Priced at $20 on Fultons Playing Cards.

Matrix Edition 2 Playing Cards

Matrix Edition 2 Playing Cards, designed by Luke Wadey, are inspired by historic Swiss graphic design experiments, particularly the International Typographic Style’s pioneers like Armin Hofmann. This deck is a follow-up to Matrix Edition 1 and is currently live on Kickstarter.

The second Matrix deck features a two-way back design and a fully customized deck and tuck box. The product features neon Pantone ink, giving it a vibrant and eye-catching appearance. In addition to its striking design, the set includes four bonus cards, including a double backer card from the Matrix Edition 1. The Matrix decks are based on historic graphic design principles, particularly those exploring the fluid matrix of circles. This design experiment focuses on creating dynamic shapes from a grid of circles, resulting in abstract and recognizable forms.

The Matrix Edition 2 deck evolves this concept, featuring new pips and courts on the card faces and a symmetrical (two-way) back design with neon yellow ink contrasting against black and grey sections. The narrow border creates interesting shapes in fans and spreads, with colors designed to captivate spectators. The neon ink used on the cards and tuck box reacts under UV light, making the yellow sections stand out prominently.

The deck includes 13 different card face shapes using the circular grid, combined with custom pips to enhance functionality. The power ace (Ace of Spades) features an enlarged pip graphic made of circles, and picture cards are recreated in a minimalist circle design overlaid with large ‘K, Q, or J’ letters.

The tuck box wraps around with a representation of the card back displayed across three sides, and the neon yellow ink creates a striking visual effect.

Standard editions are printed by WJPC using the linen-finished 300gsm German Black Core Paper, while the Limited Edition 2 features a new full-bleed design and colorway will be printed by MPC, including three additional cards, a hand-numbered sticker seal, and a personalized additional Ace of Spades.

Pledge starts at $18 on Kickstarter.

ABBOTS (Architect Edition) Playing Cards

Futuristic. Technology. Robot.

ABBOTS playing cards by 3rd Dominion is inspired by a story of a world where robots and humans coexist, and the robots unlock a secret code that gives them access to powerful technology. The Architect edition come with blue-colored card back and court cards with metallic ink accents. The cards have been completely customized following the technology setting with geometric and angular shapes. 

The futuristic-looking playing cards are kept in a cool tuck box with a unique opening system based on origami construction principles and are embossed, and adorned with foils. Also, cryptic prints have been incorporated into the cases, which are actually Moiré patterns that allow you to see small animations using a transparent plastic card with a printed grid. Printed by Noir Arts.

Kardify Magazine Issue 73 Released

We have just released Kardify Magazine issue 73 on Patreon!  Patrons who pledged $3 or more will be able to download the latest issue from our Patreon page. This issue compiles selected articles published from mid-May to mid-June. Deck images, articles, and news to keep you informed and up-to-date with the latest playing card news, releases, and previews. If you love playing cards, you will love Kardify Magazine!

Also, don’t forget to check out our other cool reward tiers on Patreon! The tiers include monthly desktop and smartphone wallpapers, a mystery deck shipped to you every 4 months of ongoing contributions, social media shout-outs, and multiple sponsorship tiers! Check it out!

Funds received from the magazine will help us keep the site running and growing, and bring new quality content to you. Our aim is to support designers by backing crowdfunded projects and supporting magic and playing cards retailers with their new releases. If you want to support us, please head over to our Patreon page. If you have an idea for an article you would like us to pursue, do get in contact with us. We hope you enjoy the read. In this issue:   

+ The Goldsmith: The first deck in the Cantrell A Priori playing card series is an homage to the father of modern printing, Johannes Gutenberg. Find out more!

+ Empire City: Chamber of Wonder is back with an exciting deck of playing cards based on the famous New York City in the United States beautifully designed by Alba Zapata.

+ Cibola: The third and final deck in Kings Wild Project‘s “Lost Cities” series with design elements based of the original El Dorado Playing Cards from the late 1800s.

+ Ramen Heads: Discover the delightful world with this limited edition deck by Art of Play featuring custom illustrations inspired by vintage Japanese graphic design.

+ Cherry Pi: Check out the latest deck in Kings Wild Project‘s Pi Series! The deck is truly eye-catching with a complimentary pink, maroon, red and green color palette.

+ Bicycle Factory52: This sold-out limited edition custom Bicycle deck was designed in partnership with AGAR. Find out more!

 + Blind Tiger Delayed: In a recent development, the Blind Tiger playing cards, a highly anticipated deck from Seasons, have faced unexpected delays, leaving card enthusiasts’ & customers waiting and frustrated.

+ Grid Series 5: A Typographic deck by UK-based designer Luke Wadey who wanted the latest deck to have maximum impact, with oversized typography at the heart of its design. Check it out!

… and more! 48 pages of articles and deck images. Enjoy!

On Kickstarter, Grid Series Five- Typographic Playing Cards

Grid Series Five – Typographic Playing Cards is the latest deck in the Grid collection which has become synonymous with UK-based designer Luke Wadey‘s playing card design style. Following the popularity of GS1-4 and the special editions along the way, Luke wanted the latest deck to have maximum impact, with oversized typography at the heart of its design.

The Grid collection focuses on the design of text, otherwise known as ‘typography’ and takes influence from graphic design styles such as Swiss and Bauhaus which make up the foundations of almost all graphic design as we know it. 

Instead of focusing on standard style faces, GS5 can be read in multiple different ways, with a large focal value taking centre stage and other details working on a grid that is hidden on the layout of the card. 

With full-bleed black and red faces and diptych jokers, the fronts of the cards are guaranteed to stand out in your collection and catch the eye of the spectator during flourishes too, whilst also being usable for gameplay.

The one-way back design uses an overlapping pattern created with G S and 5 to produce a stand-out fan and spread visual, the black and white contrast using negative space for maximum impact.

As ever, Luke always wants to take time to thank everybody who has supported his work and the campaign,

I’m a small, part time creator, so to have such incredible support, not just on this campaign so far, but my work over the past six years of running Kickstarter campaigns, truly is humbling and means the world to me – I can’t thank you all enough.

The deck will be printed by USPCC and pledge starts at $12 on Kickstarter.

ABBOTS Playing Cards by 3rd Dominion

3rd Dominion, the Ukraine-based playing card company that has always been synonymous with futuristic-looking playing cards and cool origami tuck boxes has released their latest Kickstarter campaign: Abbots. The deck is inspired by a story of a world where robots and humans coexist, and the robots unlock a secret code that gives them access to powerful technology.

The entire project has been conceived from a futuristic vision, and it’s especially evident in the tuck cases. The cases have a unique opening system based on origami construction principles and are embossed, and adorned with foils. 

Additionally, cryptic prints have been incorporated into the cases, which are actually Moiré patterns that allow you to see small animations using a transparent plastic card with a printed grid. 

Four different editions are available during the Kickstarter campaign: Keeper, Architect, Classified, and Conqueror, with color variations on the designs and a few different cards depending on the version. 

The Keeper and Architect editions share the same back and court cards with shades of blue, while the Classified and Conqueror use shades of red. The cards have been completely customized following the technology setting with geometric and angular shapes. 

The aces and jokers are different in the four editions, and the use of metallic inks enhances the designs on the faces and backs.

The decks will be printed by Noir Arts. Pledge starts at $16 on Kickstarter.

Matrix Edition 1 Playing Cards by Luke Wadey

Luke Wadey’s first crowdfunded deck of 2023 is a typographic playing cards with a twist. Matrix Edition 1 is inspired by the work of the infamous Swiss designer Armin Hofmann in 1965, best known for his help to define The International Design Style as we know it, and his iconic poster work, but in this case his fluid matrix, or as some people know it as the ‘rubber bands’ study.

The concept is fairly simple, it is to explore the relationship between lines and dots, using a grid, or matrix, of 4×4 dots that work together to create fluid shapes. Luke told Kardify,

I decided to explore this for myself. It was in this experiment I wanted to create unique card faces, featuring abstract, artistic values by experimenting with different size circles, different spacing, different amounts of circles. 

Luke was able to find combinations that he could create his own font for the card faces, as well as a dynamic card back, both exploring different combinations of circular grids and the shapes he could create with them.

All the card faces were designed first, the unique curves holding tension between each shape, linking to each other, a diverse range of angles and depths to establish a set of unusual forms. 

The deck needed a card back that complimented the faces, something understated, that wouldn’t look out of place as a poster on your wall, whilst showing dynamic shapes that create interesting spreads and fans. Luke continued,

For this new collection, I wanted to start it with a colour combination I have been using in my day-job work for ten years, the cool nature of the teal contrasting and complimenting the coral tones. With continual feedback from my patrons, with different designs and colours explored, it was to my joy that we all felt this was the best combination to start the collection with.

The tuck box itself provides contrast to the deck, embracing the coral color and using the card back design as a wrap-around graphic. Luke has included further information in a typographic treatment,  as well as a large negative space ‘1’ to show this is the first deck in the collection.

As mentioned, this is the first deck in the Matrix series. Luke plans to create even more abstract combinations and experiments based on the same principles, the possibilities are limitless.

Printed by USPCC on crushed premium bee stock, traditionally cut with air-cushion finish. Pledge starts at $11 on Kickstarter.